Jonglei ambush kills 5 UN peacekeepers, 7 civilian staff

April 9, 2013 (JUBA) - Five United Nations peacekeepers and seven civilian staff from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were killed on Tuesday in an ambush by an unidentified armed group in Jonglei state.

Map showing location of Jonglei state in South Sudan.

According to an UNMISS press release, at least nine peacekeepers and civilians were injured in the attack, in addition to those who were killed. Some other UN staff also remain unaccounted for, after the incident which occurred near Gumuruk in Pibor county.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in South Sudan, Hilde F. Johnson, has condemned the attack in the strongest terms, expressing her condolences to the relatives and colleagues of those who died.

In Tuesday’s press release, Johnson said that the "attack will not deter UNMISS and its peacekeepers from working to protect vulnerable communities in South Sudan", adding that her mission "is determined to continue its work in supporting authorities ensure peace."

Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General equally condemned in the "strongest" term the killing of the five Indian peacekeepers, two UNMISS national staff and five civilian staff contractors in Gumuruk.

He urged the Government of South Sudan to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice, adding that the killing of peacekeepers is a "war crime that falls under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court".

"The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the Governments of India and South Sudan and to the families of the peacekeepers, staff members and contractors killed in the attack," partly reads the statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

Gumuruk is located in Jonglei’s volatile Pibor county where rebels have been fighting the government on and off since since 2010 when David Yauyau lost his bid to become a member of the state’s parliament, representing the Gumuruk constituency.

The area has also been blighted by cattle raids between the Murle tribe of Pibor county and other ethnic groups in Jonglei state.

The poor security situation means that UNMISS peacekeepers frequently patrol the area as part of their Chapter VII mandate from the UN Security Council - granted shortly after the country’s secession from Sudan in July 2011 - to protect South Sudanese civilians.

UNMISS’s patrols also aim to protect the many humanitarian aid convoys that operate in Jonglei to provide assistance those affected by the fighting between the rebels and the South Sudanese army (SPLA), which has been carrying out a disarmament campaign in the area for over a year.

The SPLA’s spokesperson, Colonel Philip Aguer, said on Tuesday that the military was not responsible to for the for the attack, saying the army knows very well that the mission is in the country with a mandate that provides support to the government.

The military officer did not provide any figures of those involved in the incident, saying his office was still waiting for details from the scene of the attack.

“Our forces in Jonglei have managed to restore the situation. It is now under control. It is duty of the government to bring peace so that the country enjoys stability and will will put to an end these criminal activities. The SPLA is capable of handling it”, Aguer told reporters Tuesday.

In December last year the SPLA shot down an UNMISS helicopter in Pibor mistaking it for a Sudanese army aircraft, killing its four Russian crew members. South Sudan alleges that Khartoum is backing Yauyau’s rebellion by supplying him with weapons and ammunition, an allegation denied by the north.

(ST)

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9 April 2013 17:44, by julia

i said it that the Corrupt splm government run by kiir kuethpiny mayardit and his father of nyigateen Dr. Riek machar would be toople soon by tiger David yauyau. They re killing UNMISS blame it on David YauYau to tarnish the image of the true liberator David YauYau. Kiir ur time in power is numbered to free s.sudan from corruption by David YY. From corrupt SPLM government.

Dear Readers:
Kuol Manyang Juuk pretends to be a governor, while he has been a rebellous so called governor who armed both sides in Jonglei. Unless Kuol Manyang is no more in Jonglei, the rebellous and bloodbath would never stop in Jonglei.
There are million reasons as to why Kuol Manyang Juuk prefers Jonglei to be in turmiols while he is on the helm as a pretender governor.

Julia,
David Yau Yau is not a true librator. He is a greedy criminal who likes looting, raping and mass-slaughters. If he is a real liberator he would have captured and held a town in Murleland or any part of South Sudan.

Gabriel Ajak pug/bug.
we don,t care who will rule neither teethless/uncircumicise bor or Ghazal horn like people in warap. But we care my who will toople the corrupt and nyigateen government of kiir kuethpiny mayardit and his vp the father of nyigateen Dr.Riek Machar.the fool David YY can liberate the s.sudan and rule by wise person like wise John Garang liberate and rule by stupid kiir miyardit.

Julia, you should condem the icident,instead supporting david yauyau who is killing his own citizens.do you think he is rational man and his supporter Dr. Lam Akol?
ah julia, Kiir and Dr.Riek are good leaders with wrong people working with them in government

Chuol Ruei Brother this Problem was caused by Discrimination of Salva Kiir During Election Since 2010 up to now how many people who is Dieying all the day and night the main things who was Bring this Discrimination is the Corruption of the Government of Salva Kiir Mayadit don,t involving Dr.Riek Machar in this Government Brother.

Hahahaaa Julia Brother don’t Involving Dr.Riek Machar in this Situation of South Sudan you say Salva Kiir Mayardit Oyeeee! SPLM Oyeeeee! because you don’t wont to fullfill the Rule CPA Agreement Brother could you Exaplaning of Yaw-yaw problem is one of Discimination of South Sudan.

I strongly condemned coward act by those tribalism army, what they’re did was because of last time shot down UN alicopohor in Likungole but nothings done to them, that why repeated un speak able Act. This government of South Sudan and it military, they’re not happy about present of UN in South Sudan, they’re want to do things un notice by outside world like before when still in bush, They’re c

next page committed a lot of atrocities especially to Murle community. So right now they’re committing offences to Murle Civilians as we speaks, their killing civilians in Nanarm River, because fall to fights David Yauyau, Ashamed on you South Sudan Government.

ndgodo.
hey re u speaking Espanial or Nuer? we re getting nothing from u.could pls correct ur languist for us to comment on u.
And this fool called pinyin Gatkuoth what re u trying to feed the forum with against me?pug bug in u human shape! Am u type pig mr. Treason. My mam is from Nuer my dad is from Dinka that may not make me to abondon my identity!

where are those primitives Murle Agent and other murle stupid media writers,why do u kill international observers?
u will be like Turkana here in South Sudan, ur ladies will not escape away from the wearing animal skill forever or till Jesus come.

Yau Yau did this act. Murle have been like this right from the day the movement kicked off. Our people used to fall into their ambushes to and fro Ethiopia. In fact, it was worse at the time we left Ethiopia after fall of the regime of Mengistu. It is a tragic experience for me. I remember all that suffering and loss of lives between Pochalla and Murle straight upto Bor. Murle are terrorists!

What are all these filthy indians doing in Jonglei state anyway? The law that brought these indians pests to South Sudan in 2011 than in 1991 is the most stupid of all laws. The govt must move these pests and their prostitute Hilde Johstone. She is an evil. Let her come back again to Jonglei.

Spla must to get ride of these fuck Murle, those attackers are from pibor inside. who are they rebels? the same murle youth. murle they don’t even asked them self were are the lead to! which kind of rebellion ’s these... one county to disturblie the whole Country. this is not yet Government. SPLA should clean up murle land, otherwise in these Country we are not going to achieve the peace.

Killing of peace keeping mission is a violation of UN security council, and it must strongly be condemned, I pay tribute to the deceased. As for the fake Southern Sudanese who say before they think, Gen. Johnson Gony has never join Arab since he fought them in 1983, and Gen. Peter Gatdet doesn’t fear anyone, he will bring YY alive or dead. reconsider your comment Mr/s. nincompoop.

A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes” “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” Lt.Gen. Johnson Gony and Gen. Peter Gatdet are true SPLA soldier, that is what they love, Sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the Gun down, your accusation is pseudo and baseless mr. fool

Gen. Liberator David Yauyau is not responsible for this evil incident. It is the work of SPLA. They have been killing Murle Civilians, and nobody cares, now they started to kill UN workers to scare UN peace keepers so that they can continue with their war crimes against the Murle people. SPLA must be held responsible

Waaw! the SPLA-solders should take care to protect the civilians in all states of south sudan with the help of UNMISS peacekeepers like killing of five peacekeepers and seven civilians is really shamful.

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